CatchWindow fishing intelligence

LAWMA, Amerada Pass, LA Daily Water Report — October 8, 2026

Amerada Pass gets a clear go for boating and paddling today, with a qualified green light for diving and a merely fair fishing outlook. The water is small rather than glassy: waves run about 0.2 to 0.5 m, with a representative 0.32 m short-period wind wave and only 0.06 m of swell. That supports an 8.1/10 boating score and 7.7/10 kayaking score, but it is still enough texture to keep small craft honest—especially around the early-morning gust peak of 22.2 knots near 5:00 AM. The best all-around window is after the morning low tide at 9:13 AM and through the early-afternoon rise toward the 3:03 PM high. Northeast winds are generally manageable, around 7 knots representative, though they range up to nearly 12 knots during the day. Pressure is rising from roughly 1012 hPa, rain is not indicated, and air temperatures climb from about 20 C into the upper 20s C. Cloud cover is substantial, but the forecast atmospheric visibility is near 17 km; that is useful for navigation, not a promise of underwater clarity. Divers have a 7.9/10 score, helped by warm 28.5 C marine sea-surface temperature and modest seas. The tradeoff is the short 2-second wave period and wind-driven chop, which can make surface work less relaxed than the raw wave height suggests. The reported ocean current is about 0.11 m/s toward 207 degrees, another reason to plan entries and exits conservatively. The water is notably warm for the seasonal average, with an SST anomaly of +2.2 C. Fishing rates 5.7/10, unchanged from yesterday’s reconstructed CatchWindow score. The stronger timing cues are the 10:25 AM–12:25 PM solunar major period and the late 10:25 PM–12:25 AM major period, with the afternoon tide rise providing a practical daylight overlap. Wildlife is also moderate at 6.1/10; the late-afternoon minor period, 4:55–5:55 PM, arrives near the 9:48 PM low-tide cycle’s approach but before dusk at 7:09 PM. Compared with recent reconstructed reports, boating has eased from yesterday’s 9/10 while kayaking has slipped from 8.1/10, largely a reminder that “small” waves are not the same as no waves. Tomorrow looks breezier and wetter, with 0.4–0.8 m waves possible; Sunday is the standout calmer reset, with winds near 5 knots and waves near 0.1 m. Best bet: launch late morning, use the rising tide, and be back with plenty of daylight before the evening low.